True to the period Kitchen
Project Overview
MAK's Project Strategy
Our client's dream for their newly purchased 1968 Streng home was to revive the Kitchen to the original mid-century aesthetic lost by a previous renovation. A wall between the Dining Room and Kitchen/Nook disconnected the space from the rest of the home and pushed the Kitchen into a narrow corner creating a dysfunctional galley that lacked workspace, storage, and flow. The goal of the new design was to open up the Kitchen and make better use of underutilized existing space in the adjoining areas.
The remodeled Kitchen meets all these needs and more by adding meticulously thoughtful storage, counter seating for their growing family and ample counter space for this relatively modest Kitchen. The new layout is open to the Dining Room and includes additional pantry storage as well as a coffee bar. While the design had to meet the functional needs of the growing family, it was also of strong importance to infuse fun and eclectic design elements that reflected their family's vibrant personality and spoke to the mid-century heart of the home.
The new Kitchen is now a place that encourages connection and serves as a gathering space while also reflecting the mid-century modern design of the rest of the home.
We are thrilled with our new kitchen designed and built by MAK! While my husband and I had a vision for our dream mid-mod kitchen, it was our designer who was able to make the dream come true given our space and financial constraints. Our designer was able to help us prioritize the elements that ended up being real eye-candy and address important details with finesse. On the build side, the pandemic created a number of issues that made us nervous to remodel but with MAK's conscientious and tireless workers, diligent scheduling and organization, and availability to provide clear and efficient communication we were navigated through uncertainties with ease.
NAOMI R.
2021
REMODELEDGALLERY
Restoring Mid-Century Modern Beauty
Honoring the Original Character
It was essential to the homeowners that the Kitchen remodel include modern amenities while also restoring the original mid-century modern character of the home. This was done in big and small ways throughout the design of the Kitchen. A previous remodel of the kitchen had changed the home's original layout by segmenting the kitchen and breakfast nook away from the rest of the home. The old remodel had also drywalled over the walnut beam which ran from the front of the home all the way through to the eaves of the backyard. Seamless indoor-outdoor transitions and open living space were hallmarks of Streng Brother's homes in the 1960s and 1970s so uncovering the beam and restoring the flow of the Kitchen were musts in this project.
The remodeled kitchen runs parallel to the exposed beam, and opens into the dining room which then flows into the living space, allowing clear sightlines throughout the home! Mid-century modern homes typically utilize organic color palettes as a nod to the outdoors. With this in mind, beautiful grain-matched walnut cabinetry was used throughout the Kitchen to give the space warmth. The visible wood grain adds depth and provides another nod to bring the outdoors, in!
The matte “mid-century white” 1x3 handmade backsplash tile, by Heath Ceramics, was meticulously placed tile by tile to accentuate its stunning, yet subtle variation of color. The backsplash provides visual intrigue without detracting from the natural color pallet of the home. Shallow 4” quartz floating shelves on either side of the range move spices and accent decor off the working counter space, preserving the clean lines Mid-Century Modern style is based on.
Design Details
Pops of Color
It was important to the homeowners that their Kitchen be both stylistically mid-century modern and a reflection of their young, growing family. With this personality in mind, the Kitchen design incorporated pops of color throughout the Kitchen. The project Designer Kellie, was able to work with the homeowners to individually select which colors and cabinets would serve as accents. The result is a kitchen that is both in line with midcentury-modern design aesthetics and a joyful reflection of the growing family. These pops of color are balanced by the richness of the Walnut cabinetry used throughout.
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